Cloud Native .NET. Developing Cloud Applications in C#

Introduction

The book «Cloud Native .NET» by Matthew Gotteiner, published in 2022, is a comprehensive guide to building modern cloud applications on the .NET platform. In an era where cloud technologies have become an industry standard and microservice architecture the foundation of scalable systems, this book offers C# developers a clear and structured path from theory to practice. Across 350 pages, the author covers key cloud development concepts: containerization, orchestration, serverless computing, configuration management, and observability. The book is practice-oriented and contains numerous code examples ready for use in real projects.

What the book is about

The book is divided into several logical sections, each dedicated to an important aspect of cloud development. The first chapters introduce the reader to the basics of cloud patterns and the principles of the 12-factor app. The author then moves on to practical topics:

• Containerization with Docker — creating and optimizing Docker images for .NET applications, working with multi-stage builds.
• Orchestration with Kubernetes — deployment, scaling, configuration and secret management, using Helm.
• Microservice architecture — designing service boundaries, inter-service communication (gRPC, RabbitMQ), API gateways.
• Serverless computing — Azure Functions, AWS Lambda, integration with cloud services.
• Observability — logging, metrics, tracing using OpenTelemetry, Application Insights.
• Security — access management, JWT, Azure AD, secrets in Kubernetes.
• CI/CD — setting up pipelines with GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps.

Who this book is for

The book is intended for C# and .NET developers who already have basic experience building web applications (ASP.NET Core) and want to master cloud technologies. It will be useful both for those just starting their journey into cloud development and for those already using cloud services who want to systematize their knowledge. Familiarity with the basics of Docker and Kubernetes is recommended, but the author provides necessary explanations for beginners.

What the reader will learn

After studying the book, the reader will be able to:

• Design and develop cloud-oriented .NET applications following the principles of the 12-factor app.
• Containerize applications using Docker and manage their lifecycle.
• Deploy and scale microservices in Kubernetes.
• Configure serverless functions for event processing and integrations.
• Implement observability for monitoring and debugging.
• Ensure the security of cloud applications (authentication, authorization, secret management).
• Automate building, testing, and deployment using CI/CD.

Strengths of the book

One of the book's main advantages is its practical focus. Each chapter contains not only theory but also ready-made code examples that can be applied immediately. The author uses real-world scenarios from cloud system development experience, making the material lively and applicable. The book's structure is logical: from simple concepts to complex ones, from isolated components to a full-fledged system. The section on observability deserves special attention — a topic often overlooked in other guides. The book is written in clear language, without excessive delving into academic details, making it accessible to a broad audience of .NET developers.

Who it is recommended for

The book will be useful for:

• Backend developers in C# looking to transition to cloud architecture.
• DevOps engineers working with the .NET stack who need to understand platform specifics.
• Architects designing micro